LESSON #5: How to Avoid Scams

By | June 16, 2008

In the previous lesson we talked about a bunch of different ways of making money online. If you go out looking for those money making opportunities, you’ll find that there are literally thousands of them.

The question now is… How do I separate the real opportunities from the scams? Because we all know that the internet is full of scams, right? So lets talk about it…

(Watch this video…)

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Main points:

  • I believe that most business opportunities are not scams. But just because something isn’t illegal, that doesn’t mean its something you want to get into.

  • There ARE a lot of scammers out there though. There is no limit to how far a con artist will go to take your money. So you need to be on your guard.

  • If it sounds too good to be true, it often is.

  • Be an educated consumer. (here is a place to start: the FTC)

  • Don’t buy ANY business opportunities. (unless you honestly know what you’re doing)

    Action steps:

    1)If you ARE knowledgeable about scams, don’t let down your guard.

    2) If you don’t know about the most common Internet scams, do some research and become an educated consumer

    3) Put your wallet away

    Soon it will be time to choose one business model and focus on it, but before we can do that, we need to talk about two different pathways… and only you can decide which one is best for you. We’ll talk about those two pathways in the next lesson.

    As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below.

    Have a great day!

  • 365 thoughts on “LESSON #5: How to Avoid Scams

    1. Darrell McWilliams

      could you teel me if you have an opinion about gdi, and what it is?

      Reply
    2. Eric Post author

      It’s not a scam per se, but their marketing tactics are annoying, and it is not worth your time. Better to invest your time building your business rather than theirs.

      Reply
    3. Ivan Delvalle

      Hi Eric, I like your style, also would you like to direct our marketing, if so gather all of your marketing Buddies, and we will work it out through you. we can begin with global internet center.com you guys build it and i will point or DNS it to ya.

      Ivan DelValle

      World & LocalsuperCenter.com

      Reply
    4. Eric Post author

      You can find the more current ones here on my site. I’m planning on releasing them all in a package on CD/DVD once I’m done making them.

      Reply
    5. Peter

      Eric –

      Love your honesty and perspectives on this industry. Looking forward to future postings.

      Keep up the good work!

      Peter

      Reply
    6. mike rhodes

      I have several sites I’m trying to make money at, just wish I’d have discovered you before wasting Thousands of Dollars. Thanks, I’ll be Blogging about you on Blogger.com. It’s mlrhodes-scamsuncovered.blogspot.com. Dont’ worry it’ll be a Good Blog.

      Reply
    7. Rick

      Hi, Eric:
      I am new in this online business stuffs. I have to admit that there are really a lot of “opportunities” or “information on how to…” kind of stuffs out there, that really overwhelmed and overloaded people like me, don’t really know where to start from. But since I found your site, and after listened for 5 video lessons, I think what you told us make sense and really useful to people like me. So, now here is what I will do as a starting point for my online business stuffs. First, learn how to build a good content website by learning the step by step guide from “SiteBuildIt”. Second, I will watch your videos everyday. I think that should be enough for a beginner, am I right? Of course, I will keep my wallet away for now. 🙂 Like you said, be an educated consumer first.
      Thanks & regards,
      Rick Ng
      From Penang, Malaysia

      Reply
    8. Larry

      Glad to hear this one on scams. Tryed to download your free e-books but can’t read them. Why is that?

      Reply
    9. Eric Post author

      Hmm… what error are you getting? They are PDF’s so you should be able to read it with Adobe Reader, which you can download for free.

      Reply
    10. Louise Cox

      Hi Eric.

      To reiterate, I was able to download eBay Cash and the 2nd bonus ebook (have not looked at them yet). I posted the error message I received in the Week #4 blog area.

      I have received emails from eBay and PayPal that were phishing emails. When I first got ones from eBay, I would frantically search my selling area looking for the item number they to which they were referring. Of course, it was not there. After a search through the Help area, I discovered an answer to the scams.

      For eBay, forward the message with No changes to spoof@ebay.com.

      For PayPal, forward the message, again with NO changes, to spoof@paypal.com.

      Both of these companies take spam very seriously and work to find who sent them and give them their just rewards or at least shut them down.

      If you get an email asking for private information from a bank or other entity with which you have an account, call them to see if they sent the email. Ask them if they have an email where you can forward the email you received.

      I received an email from a furniture store in either Great Britain or Italy (Italian name) offering me an accounts receivable position here in the U.S. It sounded legit at first, but then I figured it was a copy-cat of the other foreign money laundering (for lack of any other way of saying it) and deleted the messages.

      One more tip: I send all money-making emails, except AWeber, HomeCash and Eric’s to my scam folder. I do not unsubscribe because I do not want the scammers to know they reached a real email address. One computer “geek” I know said that when you send one unsubscribe email, you get at least 10 to replace it. Who needs that?!

      While Lesson #5 did not provide any really new information for me, it was a great reminder that my personal worth does not lie in filling other people’s pockets. I have even stopped studying the lessons for HomeCash because it seems like everywhere you turn there is something more to buy. I am getting some other lessons from Web Traffic Machines, but I think I will put that off for a while too. I need to drive traffic to Bonanzle, eBay and my online pharmacy, but I do not want to have to invest in the full program for each store. That has to be a better way!!! Do you have any advice, Eric?

      I am looking forward to moving forward. Great lessons. I love that they are so short and to the point. I study each lesson almost the minute it hits my inbox. There are advantages to being on the computer almost all the time. 🙂

      Reply
    11. Eric Post author

      I replied to your lesson 4 comment now.

      I will be covering traffic gneration in depth later on in the lessons, so my best advice for now is to keep taking it one step at a time.

      Reply
    12. John Bandy

      Hi Eric,
      Thanks for another good report. I receive a lot of phishing e-mails, but they are easier to spot than the scams for making money online.
      I have learned my lesson and it did cost. I look forward to the next report.

      Reply
    13. Francis Brown

      Hi Eric,
      I’m really taking notice of your tutorials i like the way you are sending them to me Cheers.
      Francis Brown New Zealand

      Reply
    14. Ricardo

      Eric,
      Thank you for the no B.S. good sound information you have sent me via email. I’m always looking for more traffic to my site. But your sound practices have earned you a spot in the trustworthy column. Thanks

      More free traffic…

      Rick

      Reply
    15. Patty

      Hi Eric,

      I wish I had this information last year when I was desperate enough to be scammed out of a great deal of money. I am still looking for an internet business but I’m not as desperate, broke but not desperate. I am looking forward to more of your lessons and really learning something. You are easy to follow. Thanks and God Bless.

      Reply
    16. Darla

      Ok guy’s…I took the leap..have my own web site..un-published as of yet but I did it! I’m still working on exactly what I’m going to sell and I really consider it more of a “test” site due to the fact that is all free.
      Thanks guy’s…YOU ALL ROCK!
      Darla
      P.S. Eric I am waiting with baited breath for the next lesson!

      Reply
    17. Colin

      Thanks for this great lesson.I have been a victim of scams also but feel that this is part of the process. A lot of successful entrepreneurs admit to being victims at some point. Anyway thanks again.

      Reply
    18. benjamin

      hi Erick!

      how can I create a folder for eric`s tips emails using Yahoo mail?

      Reply
    19. robert

      eric this is my second read thru i’m currently on lesson eight i went back to the beiging after i finished leson eight and i left a post there don’t know how this works but i figure if you are publishing these tips(which i enjoy)you must have a way of getting new post to old lessons or else these comments wouldn’t be here.how could someone post a comment on lesson one and you answer while working on lesson eight or eighty?i don’t know how it works but after reaching lesson eight.i decided to go back and read the post,something i havn’t been doing.i been leaving random post to see if i can figure out how its done? my most serious question is posted on lesson one.until i get an answer to that i’m dead in the water.ilove your tips and do try to do as you say even if i have to go back and reread them from time to time.i’m going to jump ahead to another lesson to see if i get any answers i don’t expect any until at least lesson ten.
      i have to much time on my hands and i’m so eager to get started i can’t stand it.but i already know i got ahead of myself so now i’m on hold awaitng a reply.keep up the good work. to other newbies these are the best lessons you will ever learn.don’t give up on eric’s tips he is always there for you.i learned not to get ahead of myself to late so i’m going back over everything.good luck to you all the iceman.

      Reply
    20. Barry

      Many Thanks Eric for this free service to help people to understand how the internet works for online business. I am glad that you touched on the subject of scams and I will be looking at my credit card statement carefully this month. I have unsubscribed to many Marketers already filling up my inbox with outragous claims for income online.
      Everything that I have been doing is put on hold so that I can absorb your materials.My small brick and morter business is in progress and I feel confident that your experience in marketing will help me alot to market my Eco Friendly Tropical Resort Style Living services.

      I am new to your site and look forward to receiving your Knowledge Eric. Thank You

      Regards Barry C Anderson

      Islandmountaintropics@hotmail.com

      Reply
    21. Claudia

      I like the tutorials very much so far Eric. Keep them coming.

      Reply
    22. Ralph

      Hi Eric:
      I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate what you are doing for me. I kind of jumped into the web business thinking this would be an overnite success. Of course, I found out that it is much harder to do than I expected. I feel like I was led to your site to become involved in your lessons. You have already taught me a valuable lesson – Put the wallet away and learn about what you are doing first!

      Reply
    23. chanduck

      Eric!!!!!!!! Sees your video and thanks.
      The money learns the method which earns well. I at once am appear impression the thing to become the rich man.
      All blessing …….. joyful weekend….

      Reply
    24. kola

      Hi Eric,
      Thanks for this good work you are doing. I have been wasting to much time trying to figure out how to start making money online,i hope this would just be the gateway.
      best regards

      Reply
    25. Delvin M Caines

      Hey Eric, thanks for all the imput so far, wish I had started with you earlier,could have stopped me being scammed !! Keep up the good work, listening intently!!
      Cheers.

      Reply
    26. Olarinde Olufemi

      Hi Eric you are doing a great job may God reward you accordingly,please you mentioned FTC on tips to avoid scams.I clicked on it but the url could not find the server.pls kindly send me cogent tips to identify internet scams

      Reply
    27. Jeni

      Eric,
      You have been the FIRST person who really gets down with to the nitty gritty. You provide insights that makes me really look indepth about internet marketing. I have found a trust factor in what you say. I have been bombarded by other internet “gurus” about getting this and getting that because they say it will make you a ton of money. I view these as just selling out and not really caring about the student. Thanks for being a down to earth guy. I look forward to your other lessons and will be viewing your archives to see what I missed. I would trust your recommendations. Keep ‘um coming! Aloha

      Reply
    28. Casey Peacock

      Yep. I’ve been scammed too. And I’ve bought a ton of info products that aren’t worth all that much, but, some of them are. Lately I’ve only been buying software programs that do specific things for me.

      Reply
    29. Butch

      Hi Eric,
      I nearly found my way on a plane to London to collect lottery winnings once. The warning bells clanged when I was asked to send a fee to them to help me collect my winnings.
      Regards Butch

      Reply
    30. onifade Olutoye

      hello eric. pls i want to thank you for the good work you are doing. I have personnally fell for one ddubious marketer i.e online-dataentry.com which i paid tbe registration fee for but they refused to send the login instruction and password. Pls, i am interested in data entry for companies. can you pls tell me anyone that is legitimate and the people working there are not dubious.

      Reply
    31. Nisg

      What about web traffic machines? Is it a scam site ? I installed some of them and I suspect its spyware

      Reply
    32. Eric Post author

      No it is not a scam, or spyware. Some anti-spyware software may detect it because it does connect to the internet to check for updates.

      Reply
    33. Eric Post author

      Most of the “data entry” products marketed are actually bait and switch marketing pitches for ebooks that teach about affiliate marketing.

      However it is possible to find legitimate data entry jobs. I would suggest trying to find some freelance work on a site such as Elance.com or Rentacoder and then see if you can turn it into a long-term gig.

      Reply
    34. Sandra

      Eric, whats the possibility of stepping up your tutorials? I would be very interested indeed!!! Please advise.
      Many thanks

      Reply
    35. John

      Hi Eric
      I would also like to move a bit faster and would like to know if I can access the lessons on my own without have to receive them one at a time Thanks John

      Reply
    36. Bola

      Thanks eric, though i have spend quality time trying 2 differiate bw real biz and spam. i think u have made it much simpler.

      Reply
    37. Tim

      Want to know if something is a scam? In GOOGLE, type the product/service name plus the word “scam”. You’ll immediately see what negative things others have had to say about the same product. Try “free internet tv scam” for starters!

      Reply
    38. angie

      Hi Eric,It’s nice of you to give us a lesson about How To Avoid Scams.At least we should be very carefulof joining HomeBased Business opportunies .Instead to earn money you loss lots of money!We have to be smart now. You are right, investigate the company first’ Thanks for your feedback ! God Bless!

      Reply
    39. Rachel

      Hi Eric

      Thanks for the lessons, I think they are God sent. I have always wanted these things explained in plain english. I am in Botswana do the FTC regulations apply to me?

      Reply
    40. samson

      Great info! Eric even though it’s just couple of days ago that i subscribe to your list, i am beginning to like you. Thanks a great deal for being whom you are.

      Reply

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